THE PEOPLE
'THE PEOPLE' Before and During the Colonial Era Before the 19th century, when the term Yoruba or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yariba%20/%20Yariba Yariba] came into wider use, The word Yoruba was first confined to the Ọyọ. It was under the influence of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba clergyman, that the subsequent missionaries extended the term to include all speakers of related dialects in the region. Aside from "Yoruba" and its variant "Yariba", this ethnic group was in different times and places known by a variety of other names, including "Yorubo", "Akú", "Okun", "Nago", "Anago" and "Ana" and "Lucumi". Before the abolition of the slave trade, Ekiti is one of the Yorubas being refered to as the "Okun", Okun being the way they greet. These are Yorubas found in parts of the states of Kogi - the "/ Yagba (page does not exist) Yagba", Ekiti and Kabba. In the pre-colonial period, Ekiti was a very large, independent and stabled nation comprises of about twenty four (24) kingdoms, but they maintained close relations, involving trade and dynastic marriages (Akintoye, 1971: 23 4). The most senior ruler was the Ore of Otun, but the largest kingdoms were Ado, Ikere and Akure. Akure was the area of Ekiti most closely controlled by Benin. In the colonial period it became the administrative centre for Ondo Province, and is now the Ondo State capital. After 1854, Ibadan destroyed many of the Ekiti towns, and those that survived were placed under the control of Ibadan administrators. The unpopularity of Ibadan rule led to a rebellion in 1876. In 1876 it was Ekiti people that dare the fiery warriors of Ibadan, stopped them and freed the whole yoruba nation from molestation and oppression of the Ibadans by engaging them in a war called Ekiti Parapo war led by Fabunmi Oke-Imesi and Ogedengbe of Ijeshaland that lasted for 16 years before the colonial masters settle it. At the start of the colonial period, two of the most northerly towns, Obo and Otun, were included in Northern Nigeria, but after some agitation the border was redrawn and Otun was included in the south (Akintoye, 1970). Prior to the British conquest Ekiti was a united and peaceful independent state comprises of many towns and villages with Obas and Baales,. It was one of the many Yoruba states in what is today Nigeria. 　 The Modern Ekiti The modern Ekiti state was formed from part of Ondo State in 1996. Created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha. The state, created out of the territory of Ondo State, covered the former twelve local government areas that made up the Ekiti Zone of old Ondo State; however, on creation, it took off with sixteen (16) Local Government Areas (LGAs), having had an additional four carved out of the old ones. Ekiti State is one of the thirty-six states (including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja) that constitute the Nigeria. Following a prolonged political crisis, President Olusegun Obasanjo imposed a military administrator (General Tunji Olurin) on Ekiti State in October 2006. On April 27, 2007 Olurin was replaced by Tope Ademiluyi. In the PDP primary of 2006, Yinka Akerele and Prof. Adesegun Ojo were supposed to be in a run off to determine who will be the nominee of the Nigerian ruling party when President Obasanjo summoned them to Abuja and imposed the candidate who came third- Engineer Segun Oni. He was later elected in the 2007 election as the governor of the state and the AC candidate Kayode Fayemi challenged his election and forced a rerun in May 2009. The people of of Ekiti is known all over the country as lovers of knowledge, these can be witnessed in the number of professors and doctors of different fields from the state, many of Ekitis at home and in diasporas are in the forefront of their professions, little wonder the nicknamed fountain of knowledge. The Ekitis are very intelligent, hardworking and not ready to compromise their integrity, always ready to fight for their right and defend the truth, this has been misinterpreted by some other tribes as stubbornness. The fountain of Knowledge (Ekiti) is a blessed State with a lot of diverse potential for growth and development. It has well over ten mineral resources in different part of the state. There are over [[|15 Tourist]] sites out of which is the popular Ikogosi Warm Spring- a natural Spring with therapeutic nature, the only one in Nigeria (or even the whole of West Africa) and the newly renovated Fajuyi Park- an ultra modern fun spot for relaxation, a Pride of place in the South Western part of Nigeria. Ekiti origin mythology Before 1100 AD there had been civilization in existence at Ilė-Ifę which was invaded by a militant immigrants from the east, led by a king named Oduduwa. Oduduwa and his group had been persecuted on the basis of religious differences and forced out of their homeland. They came to Ilė-Ifę where they subjugated the pre-existing Ugbo inhabitants (often erroneously rendered as Igbo but unrelated to the present Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria), under the leadership of Oreluere (Ọbatala). The mythology of the origin of the Ekiti, who refer to themselves as "Omo O'odua" (Children of Oduduwa), revolves around the mythical figure of Oduduwa or Odudua. Another translation of Oduduwa is Odu to da wa meaning a distinct knowledge(I.e when Oduduwa arrived they found out that he possessed knowledge that was not comparable with the indegenes). The meaning of the name may also be translated as "the spiritual one who created the knowledge ("odu") of character ("iwa")." Before and after the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from Ilė-Ifę to establish other kingdoms (Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo). Each made a mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin to Ile-Ife. Many of the kingdoms said to be founded by these Oduduwa children were already well established, they made them Kings for them to have allegiance to their father and for the respect they had for the wisdom of their father. Example of this was Oranmiyan that went to be a King at Benin City. According to oral history, Okanbi, the son of Oduduwa had sixteen children. He took all his sons, sixteen of them, out of Ile-Ife and brought them to the present day Ekitiland. They include Orangun, the monarch of Ila, in Osun State, and Owa-Obokun, the monarch of Ilesa, also in Osun State. The other fourteen sons were Alara of Aramoko; Ajero of Ijero; Oore of Otun; Olojudo of Ido; Ewi of Ado-Ekiti; Ogoga of Ikere; Oloye of Oye; Attah of Ayede; Onitaji of Itaji; Owatapa of Itapa; Arinjale of Ise; Elemure of Emure; Elekole of Ikole and Onire of Ire. All these towns are now in present day Ekiti State except Ilesa and Ila-Orangun which are in Osun State. Even, those that were not descendants of Oduduwa among the Yoruba kings moved to Ile-Ife to ask for crowns which is not only the symbol of kingship but also of being subject to the authority of Oduduwa (the Ooni of Ife) and he therefore became their father (spiritual father). 　 Geography The State is mainly an upland zone, rising above 250 meters above the sea level. It is bounded on the South by Ondo State, on the North by Kwara State, on the East by Kogi State and on the West by Osun State. It lies within the area underlain by metamorphic rock of the basement complex. It has a generally undulating land surface with a characteristic landscape that consists of old plains broken by step-sided out-crops dome rocks that may occur singularly or in groups or ridges. Such rocks out-crops exist mainly at Efon-Alaaye, Ikere-Ekiti, Igbara-odo-ekiti and Okemesi-Ekiti. The State is dotted with rugged hills. The notable ones among them are Ikere-Ekiti Hills in the southern part, Efon-Alaaye Hills in the western boundary and Ado-Ekiti Hills in the central part. Climate and Vegetation The State enjoys tropical climate with two distinct seasons. These are the rainy season (April-October) and the dry season (November-March). Temperature ranges between 21° and 28°C with high humidity. The south westerly wind and the northeast trade winds blow in the rainy and dry (Harmattan) seasons respectively. Tropical forest exists in the south, while Savannah occupies the northern peripheries. [[|Towns and administrative divisions]] The people of Ekiti State live mainly in towns. These towns include: Ado, Awo-Ekiti, Efon-Alaaye, Aramoko, Ikole, Ikere, Ire, Ijero, Ayetoro, Ipoti, Igogo, Ise, Itapa, Otun,usi, Ido, Emure, Iyin, Igede, Ilawe, Ode, Oye, Omu, OmuoIlasa, Ilupeju, Ikoro, Ikun, Iye, Ijesa-Isu, Ayedun, Aisegba, Osin, Okemesi, and Igbara-Odo. Local Government Areas Ekiti State includes 16 of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas. They are: Ado-Ekiti Aiyekire (Gbonyin) Efon Ekiti-East Ekiti-South-West Ekiti-West Emure Ido-Osi Ijero Ekiti Ikere [[|Ikole]] Ilejemeje Irepodun/Ifelodun Ise/Orun Moba Oye Ijelu Demographics Ekiti form one of the largest ethnic groups in Yorubaland. Ekitis are culturally homogeneous and they speak a dialect of Yoruba language known as Ekiti. The homogeneous nature of Ekiti confers on the state some uniqueness among the states of the federation. Slight differences are noticeable in the Ekiti dialects of the Yoruba language spoken by the border communities to other states. For example, the people of Ado local government area do not speak exactly the same dialect with the people of Ijero Local government area, while the people of Ikole area speak something different from the people of Ikere area. The communities influenced by their locations include Otun (Moba land) that speaks a dialect close to the one spoken by the Igbominas in Kwara State. The people of Oke-Ako, Irele, Omuo-Oke speak a similar dialect to that of Ijesas of Osun State. However, part of the uniqueness of the Ekitis is that where ever is your own part of the state, you will understand well, when the other Ekiti man/woman speaks, in spite of the dialectal variations. In addition, all towns in Ekiti State take a common suffix, “Ekiti,” after their names. The main staple food of the people of Ekiti is pounded yam with vegetable soup. SOME PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMPANIES: Public companies: O'dua Textile Mills, Ado-Ekiti Ire Burnt Bricks Works, Ire-Ekiti Road Materials and Construction Company(ROMACCO),Igbemo-Ekiti Ekiti Kete Mass Transit Company Ltd; Okeyinmo, Ado-Ekiti Private Companies: Adegbemile Food Industries, Oye-Ekiti Omolayo Standard Press Limited, Ado-Ekiti Little by Little Photo Industries Limited, Ado-Ekiti Celtic Company Limited, Ilawe-Ekiti Petadel Soap Industry, Igbara-Odo-Ekiti Onward Vegetable Oil Industry, Ikere-Ekiti Alade Colour Photo Laboratory, Ajilosun Street, Ado Ekiti Eagle Photos, Fajuyi Square, Ado-Ekiti Gold Fingers Limited, Ijero Ekiti.E